I've been looking around, and I haven't found any jobs available anywhere in the Alps. This is the area I'm most interested in going to because I am a Ski instructor, and it would be nice to get a little additional income my way doing that as well as teaching.
I am from the UK, so visas aren't a problem, and I've looked on the Pages Jaunes, but can't find anything. Has anyone got any bright ideas?

I think it'll be tough to find work IN the alps... if I were you, I'd look in Grenoble. I know there is a Wall Street institute there, and there should be other, smaller language schools too (because you don't really want to work for Wall Street Institute, do you?). Grenoble also has an HEC and Science Po branch - which means that it is full of students... should be easy to find privates there.

Last edited by eo-nomine on Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

eo-nomine, thanks!!
Actually, my reasons for hanging around in the Alps, is that I'm also a certified ski-instructor, and what I would love to do would be to divide my time between the classroom and the slopes. Maybe some of the bigger towns down in the valleys? It really doesn't matter too much which mountains, so I'm fairly flexible... I'm fluent if French - would that maybe help? It's just a possibility for the future, but it's something I really would love to do!!!
Thanks for your help so far.

I'm also a certified ski-instructor, and what I would love to do would be to divide my time between the classroom and the slopes

Bring the classroom on the slopes! Teach your students how to ski in English as you tumble and fumble around in the snow with the more attractive ones... On a more serious note: you might want to look at the language assistant thing. I know virtually nothing about it, except that all the assistants who came to teach us German in lycée always hated their time in France! At any rate, http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=19177 is the thread were this program is mentioned.

Some of the "bigger towns down in the valley" like Gap or Digne might have language schools too, true. Gap is a quite dynamic (and very pretty) town, I would have a look there. I don't know about Digne, though. Parler français courament est souvent très utile pour établir un meilleur contact avec les employeurs, surtout en province... you have an edge over other EFL teachers there. Nice might be worth a shot too, although it's further away, and will probably be full of EFL teachers already, but you never know!

I just had a quick look at les pages jaunes, entered "formation anglais" for Gap (Hautes Alpes, 05), and I just saw two or three places you could contact... hmm, also, I don't know when you plan to start looking for work, but right now isn't the best of times. The school/business year starts in September, and that's the best time to ask for interviews and such. Voila... hope some of this helps!

Edit - Turin might be another possibility, too. On the slopes within two hours, big thriving city... I would definitely give it a shot!

Thanks for the advice!!!
I've looked into Albertville, since that seems to be the closest to my home from home - Meribel. However, my knowledge of geography is rudimentary at best, so I could be deluding myself!!!
The Turin idea looks really cool - and I loved the thought of teaching students to ski at the same time as teaching them English!!! maybe there is a market for that???

Albertville! That's tiny! I don't know where Meribel is, but maybe you could try Chambéry or Annecy... bigger cities with more going on, and I think you would have an easier time finding work there than in Albertville (Albertville is only like 15,000 big, right?) they're much closer to Albertville than say Gap.

Yes, Chambery is also an option. Meribel is up the valley, around the shoulder from Courcheval. It's really nice, and closer to Chambery and Albertville than the other resorts. Plus, Chambery isn't too far away - the odd weekend on the slopes would be good!!!
Thanks, I'll look into that.

Well Sekhmet, if you ever develop an ESP course - 'English for Ski Instructors' let me know! I plan to go to the Italian side of the Alps (my Italian's better than my French). Personally I hope to go freelance although my house here is taking an age to sort out and I might not even make the first snows.

Chambery would be handy for nipping back to the UK as there are increasing numbers of low cost flights - particularly in the winter (eg: Flybe to Southampton).

Although I'm a 25 seasons skier I'm a bit too old and rusty with hockey/football players' knees (European versions!) and think I'll forget doing a BASI course myself, but it certainly sounds appealing. Good luck.

Try "Infolangues" in Grenoble. They aren't particularly nice people to work for but they do have a centre near the ski slopes. There used to be an outfit called "Options" a few years ago which I would avoid at all costs. You could try the Chambre de Commerce in Grenoble. They might have something. You normally get paid by the hour but you do get a decent hourly rate.